In the electronic and electrical apparatus manufacturing industries, many diverse devices are interconnected by a solder connection. In some instances wire wrapped connections are further secured by the application of solder. These solder connections are generally made with the use of manual soldering irons and employ a solder in conjunction with a flux. Heating of the flux results in a generation of fumes and/or smoke which are usually objectionable to the solderer, and as a result the soldering operations are often performed under a hood connected to an exhausting system. Even with the use of exhaust hoods, the flux fumes rise from the soldering site and pass by the operator before being withdrawn by the exhaust system. With these types of hood exhaust systems a large amount of the ambient air is exhausted resulting in a severe drain on factory heating and air conditioning systems.
Several attempts have been made in the past to construct soldering irons with fume exhausting features, but these modified soldering irons have not been widely adopted. One such combination soldering iron with exhaust facilities is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,184,980 issued Dec. 26, 1939 to F. J. C. Smith, wherein a flared skirt is provided to surround the soldering iron tip. The flared skirt is connected to an exhaust system to withdrawn flux fumes along passageways that are closely adjacent to the heating elements and then the exhaust fumes pass through further passageways formed in the soldering iron handle, whereafter the fumes are drawn to a suction device. The hood is secured to the soldering iron with metallic screws which pass through a sleeve of asbestos, interposed between the iron and the hood, and are seated in threaded holes formed in a heated head.
In another type of construction, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,041,018 issued May 19, 1936 to R. C. Persons, a soldering iron is provided with a suction pipe that runs through the soldering iron handle and terminates in a small hood positioned adjacent to the soldering iron tip. The hood and the suction pipe are clamped directly to heated parts of the soldering iron. This suction pipe is connected by a flexible conduit to a vacuum pump to effectuate the withdrawal of toxic fumes from the vicinity of the soldering iron tip.
In addition, fume extracting facilities have been incorporated in welding guns of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,409 issued Mar. 17, 1974 to W. E. Troyer et al. wherein shielding gas is passed through the gun and exited through a nozzle onto a welding site. The nozzle is axially spaced from an end of an outer shell to provide a radial or laterally outwardly extending exhaust passageway. The nozzle is electrically isolated from those portions of the gun that are energized. Shielding gas is passed through the nozzle and laterally dispersed and, then, withdrawn back toward the exhaust passageway by connecting the exhaust passageway to a vacuum pump.